Coach laughed. “I have acquired many things on my travels, Adam. How do you think I could afford to build this place?”
“Note taken sir,” said Adam.
Andrew’s hopes were for them to gain as much footage as possible, and also gain a tour of the vault. Using this method they could see and hear of any upgrades in security. Once his appointment was over Adam and Josh were to rendezvous with Jaime. The last step was to observe the roof once again from the multi-storey car park. They needed to see if it was still accessible from the skylight window. Andrew then turned to Adam.
“Did you find anything on our mystery guest, Mr Eza?” he asked.
“No. There is literally nothing on this guy’s past. His background is a clean slate but I’ll keep on digging.” reaffirmed Adam.
Once everyone was agreed on the mission, the 3 boys left the meeting and went to get ready.
“Well handled presentation A.R,” said Sean.
They both proceeded to the area where the super computers were located and began to set up.
“All cameras are online and ready to go.”
“Ear Comms are all online. Do I have confirmation, over?” said Andrew.
“Ear Comms are operational A.R.” confirmed Josh, Jaime and Adam.
“You’re good to go boys.” Andrew instructed.
The boys boarded the hummer and set off. Andrew and Sean watched on the monitors. An hour and 45 minutes had passed and the boys were nearing their target. Jaime parked up a few streets down from the lodge. Andrew’s voice came over the ear pieces.
“Ok boys; let’s make this as smooth as possible.”
“Was that you A.R or coach. I can’t tell the difference as you’re beginning to sound like each other.” joked Josh. Laughter filled the speakers.
“Enough of the jokes Mr Parker.” ordered Sean, “Now huddle in.”
Sean made sure a prayer was said before each mission. The group concluded in unison with an “Amen.”
Jaime left the truck first and made his way to the ticket stand. Dressed in a khaki bomber jacket, black top and jeans and timberland boots he looked like an everyday casual bystander. He even had a camera hanging around his neck to really pull off a tourist look. Carefully he adjusted his glasses.
“You guys getting a good view?” he asked.
“Good to go Jai.” said Andrew.
He queued for a few minutes, and then once he obtained his ticket, was herded into a group of 30 people. The tour guide appeared and gave an introduction then promptly escorted them inside.
“Why anyone would want a tour of this building is beyond me. This is so boring!” exclaimed Jaime as he accompanied the other 30 people through the lodge. The tour guide began on the first floor, showing off paintings and other old artworks that were present in the Lodge.
Giving a brief historic background on the Freemasons and the founders of the Windsor Lodge, Jaime found himself getting higher and higher until he was finally on level 9. Cautiously he looked around. From what they could see, Andrew and Sean counted 10 guards on the vault floor now. Coach pointed out that the security detail had been bolstered; distinguishing the difference in firearms these men were equipped with against the rest of the security guards in the building. The volume of CCTV was still the same however. Through the ear comms Andrew instructed Jaime where to look, and they took photos and recordings of what they needed.
Meanwhile, Adam and Josh sat in the hummer watching the monitors and awaiting instruction. Adam was dressed impeccably in an expensive tailored, navy suit, white shirt with navy tie and brown shoes. To convey he was a man of expensive tastes and convincingly pose as a wealthy buyer, Coach had lent him an exquisite gold Rolex, to help finish off the look.
Josh was dressed in an all black ensemble, accompanied by a black polar neck jumper and black shoes. Concealed underneath his blazer was a gun holster housing 2 Glock firearms. He looked smart but practical enough to pass as a high standard hired bodyguard. Once Andrew and Sean had gathered all the footage they needed they instructed Jaime to finish the tour, then leave and wait at the Hummer to rendezvous with Adam and Josh. With that being said they moved on to phase 2 of their plan.
Andrews’s voice crackled through the ear telecom. “Adam. Josh, you’re up.” Taking a deep breath Adam opened the hummer doors and stepped out. Josh could tell he was still nervous and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Ready when you are, boss” he said playfully, as he got into character. The two boys made their way to the Lodge reception. Josh played his role correctly, walking a few inches in front of his ‘client’ and opening and closing doors for Adam appropriately. They were greeted at the reception by a young attractive female clerk.
“Welcome to the Royal Masonic Lodge of Windsor County. How can I help you today sir?”
“Hi. I have a 12 o clock meeting with Mr Eza. My name is Mr Jones.”
The receptionist checked her appointments for the day and confirmed their arrival. “If you’d like to take a seat in the lounge gentleman. Mr Eza will be with you shortly.”
Josh ushered Adam into the business lounge, where they waited contently.
A few minutes passed until finally the automatic doors slid open and Mr Eza walked through, accompanied by two armed guards.
He was a tall man, around 6’8”, stocky build with a squared jaw. His eyes were a deep dark brown and he had a crown full of rich black hair, cut neatly, styled and gelled with a side parting. He had a honeyed tone to his voice and a silver tongue to match.
“Mr Jones?” He stuck his hand out in a welcoming gesture.
Adam returned the action and they shook hands. Josh remained cautious and quiet, watching through tinted lenses.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me today Mr Eza.” said Adam.
“The pleasure is all mine Mr Jones. And call me Lez.” He replied.
Both boys followed as Eza led them to an elevator which would take them up to the 9th floor. Whilst inside the lift, he gave them a brief description of his involvement with the Freemasons and how he came to be in the position he was in. He mentioned that because of the new venture they were taking and the new vault systems they had put in place; his much needed expertise in security was sought after. He reassured Adam his belongings would be in safe hands.
As they exited the elevator Adam watched Eza’s movements carefully. Andrew and Sean also paid mindful attention. Instead of heading straight to the vault they walked a few feet past it and entered an office.
“Take a seat gentleman. Would you like a beverage or a bite to eat?” offered Eza.
Adam replied as Josh pulled the chair out for him subserviently, “No thank you.”
The office was fantastically furnished, with fixtures made from the most expensive woods and materials such as velvet and silk adorning the walls and floor.
In the middle of the room there was a coffee table surrounded by comfortable armchairs, atop an elegantly designed rug. Nearer the back wall was the desk at which Mr Eza worked from. A large self portrait overlooked it. Against the walls were multiple certificates and awards on shelves. There were also beautifully crafted glass cabinets housing expensive ornaments and valuable objects.
Once seated, Eza and Adam bantered back and forth and discussed many different topics before getting down to the nitty-gritty business negotiations. Before they conversed over the vaults safety capabilities Eza asked of Adams background and his interest for wanting to safe keep his belongings in the Windsor Lodge vault. Normally Adam didn’t do so well under such scrutiny but it seemed he had really gained an unprecedented confidence and had really flourished from his usual introvert, quiet self. Even Josh was surprised at the quick witted responses Adam was giving.
“You seem like a very intelligent man Mr Jones. At such a young age too.”
Eza seemed very impressed with Adam’s character.
“Shall we take a tour of the vault then?” asked Eza as he gestured to the office door.
A resound
ing yes came ringing through the ear pieces as Andrew and Coach watched on remotely through the glasses and rejoiced in Adams performance. He had gotten them access to the vault and now they could do an in depth scope of the interior.
Adam and Josh followed closely behind Eza. Once they got to the vault they were patted down by guards and underwent a detailed security check which involved being scanned by metal detectors and having their entire bodies scanned for anything deemed dangerous or detrimental to the vaults integrity. Josh had to leave his handguns in a tray before entering the vault itself.
Once all checks were completed Eza showed them into the main vault. It was deceptively huge in size and was comprised of 3 rooms. All contents were sorted in order of size and name. Room 1 had rows of large lockers throughout. They mostly housed larger objects such as sculptures, ornaments, pictures and heirlooms, etc. Room 2 was used mostly to handle large amounts of money or precious metals such as gold, silver and diamonds and Room 3 stored all types of important documentations, recordings, tapings, etc.
Andrew looked puzzled by what he was seeing. Sean noticed the look on his face, “Is there something wrong kid?”
“In my dream, the vault was only one room. Mr Eza has clearly been busy. Plus there’s still no sign of the ring yet.” replied Andrew with a sigh of frustration.
Eza boasted of the vaults properties to Adam, ensuring his goods would be safe. From what Andrew could see the vault had had some major upgrades in security. Each room now had cameras covering every angle with 24-hour surveillance. There were 2 guards placed at each door with semi-automatic firearms. The tripwires and knock out gas were still present features. Once the tour was over, they made their way back into the office.
“So Mr Jones, what is it that you wish to deposit with us?” quizzed Eza, looking suspiciously at the briefcase Adam was holding. On request, Josh placed the case on the table and unlocked it. He then passed it over to Eza. Opening the case slowly, Eza’s expression soon became apparent as a delectable smile crept across his face.
“I see why you would want such a substantial amount of wealth safeguarded Mr Jones.” Pulling himself away from the case, Eza made his way over to a cabinet, removed some paperwork, an electronic tablet and made his way back to the table. As he did so Josh took the opportunity to slyly and carefully place a bug underneath the desk before he returned.
“If you could be so kind sir I will need you to sign these documentations first Mr Jones, then I’ll require a retina and fingerprint scan from you. These are merely for identification and validation purposes only and will help conclude our meeting today and confirm our contract hence forth.”
Adam played along as obliged. Once the process was over, he shook hands with Mr Eza and was escorted out by guards. Josh and Adam made their way back to the parked vehicle. Jaime was waiting there for them.
“How did it go?” quizzed Jaime.
Before Adam answered Josh butted in, “Aye you should a seen this guy in action man. It was like watching DiCaprio or some shit. At one point I was even convinced this guy was some kinda millionaire mogul.”
Adam laughed and took a breath of relief, “I’m just glad it’s over.”
“We’re not done yet bro.” replied Jaime.
They climbed into the truck and headed for the multi-storey car park. Once they reached the top Jaime used a pair of digital binoculars to scope out the neighbouring rooftop of the Windsor Lodge.
“Shit! You guys seeing this?” he asked as the binoculars relayed the images back to Andrew and Sean. The rooftop now had 2 guards patrolling, equipped with long-range firearms.
“Yeah we see em. Ok get going, you’re done bro.” commanded Andrew.
Jaime climbed back into the Hummer and headed back to base. As they pulled away from the car park, Coach’s voice came over the car speakers.
“Good Job boys. Now get back, we got some plans to go over.”
They all gave a resounding “YES SIR!”
The car went silent. Then Sean’s voice resounded again...
“And guys...”
The boys anticipated silently for orders
“...grab some pizza and beers on the way home. Let’s celebrate your first successful mission.”
The boys high fived and rejoiced in the truck as they sped away.
That night the boys took some time out to relish in the days accomplishments and take a break from the mad world that had been thrust upon them.
For once the 4 friends felt like teenagers again, chilling, playing computer games and just having a normal night in, being boys.
Coach was in the kitchen gathering beers from the fridge when he paused for a minute and smiled. He admired the boy’s friendship. Their bond was unbreakable. He looked up to the heavens and muttered the words, “You got a good one here Anthony.”
“Hey Coach, hurry up with the beers, your slice is getting cold.” Shouted Andrew.
He laughed, shut the fridge door and made his way over...
...And for the first time in his life he felt like he was part of a real family.
CHAPTER 14
The next day, it was straight back to business for the boys. The all too familiar alarm rang out through the base, echoing relentlessly. However the time was 10am instead of 6am. Coach had allowed them to sleep in for a few more hours as a gift to a job well done. They all slowly dragged their feet into the kitchen for breakfast. Whilst he cooked up the first meal of the day he still managed to give orders
“So today we got a lot on our plates and I don’t mean what’s cooking. Collectively we’ll need to go through all the footage the glasses picked up and also I’m hoping the bug Josh planted will have some useful information recorded on it. So eat up, busy day ahead gentleman.”
Jaime smirked, “Nice to see you’re back to your old self sir.” Laughter broke out around the dining table.
Once breakfast was done they made their way to the meeting room to analyse all the data they had collected. From what they saw in the pictures and video footage, this mission was going to be much harder than originally planned. They would have to take out the two guards on the roof before they could get access to the skylight window. Even with all the information they had gathered, they still couldn’t pinpoint where the Star of David was being held. They turned to the bug that Josh had planted to see if they could pick up any leaked information.
They listened intently for any kind of intelligence that might help. After a few minutes of hearing needless day to day chit chat they finally got the breakthrough they were looking for. Mr Eza’s voice came over the speaker. It sounded like he was talking to a superior, his boss maybe;
“Everything is going according to plan sir. Yes sir. The ring is safely secured in my office, under my own personal protection. Yes, I’m the only one that can access it. I won’t sir, Anak was a power-mad clumsy fool, and he overstepped his boundaries. Everything is moving forward as planned for your inevitable arrival. Yes sir. You can count on me as always my lord.”
Then suddenly Eza’s voice changed into a gruff, deep, agonising tone and he began to speak in a dialect that wasn’t understandable. The group looked at each other, puzzled whilst Coach sat silently with his fist clenched in front of his mouth. He pondered for a few seconds then began to re-examine the video footage of Eza’s office again.
“Hmmm,” he said inquisitively. “No sign of the ring anywhere.” He muttered. Then something caught his eye and he zoomed in on the huge portrait that was hung behind Eza’s desk. Adam could sense where Sean was going with his thoughts.
“You think it’s behind the picture don’t you coach?” he asked.
Coach waved his finger at the portrait accusingly then tapped his chin with the same finger. “I remember doing a job, years ago, and we had to recover some important documents from a tyrannical dictator in Africa. He had a similar portrait in his base of operations. We turned the office over and found a safe behind the picture. I think this could be a case of déjà vu.”
“Would make sense I guess. He did say the ring was under his own personal protection. But how do we get in there, he has that floor completely guarded off.” asked Andrew.
“I have a plan. But you may not like it entirely A.R.” said Sean reluctantly.
The room fell silent and all eyes fell on Andrew. He took a sigh of discontent, “Let’s hear it then coach.” He said.
Coach explained that Leslie Eza’s main responsibility was to protect the Star of David at all costs. This meant he would be around the ring at all times and nothing would draw him away from the relic. Sean understood that they wouldn’t be able to get past Eza without a substantial distraction. And the only thing more important than the ring was someone of significance; Andrew. Sean reverted back to the point that demons can sense angels. If they used Andrew as a diversion, it could buy them the time they needed to get in and steal the ring. However this would mean Andrew would have to confront a demon on his own.
After a few minutes of talking it over, they all agreed it was the only logical idea they could come up with. The plan was Andrew would make his presence known by entering the lobby. In theory this would attract Eza and whilst he had him distracted, once again Adam, Josh and Jaime would gain access through the skylight window from the multi-storey car park and enter the room above the vault. From there they could infiltrate the office from above and hopefully have enough time to extract the Star of David. It wasn’t the best plan but it was all they had.
“So when are we doing this?” questioned Josh.
“We’ll leave it until Sunday night.” explained Sean.
As they all got up to leave the room Sean called Andrew to stay behind.
“You think you’re ready for this Andy?”
Andrew sat back down slowly. Resting his elbows on the table he placed his hand underneath his chin and thought things over for a few seconds.
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